Most recent Instructions for Equalization of Academic Certificates

Reference to meeting number (4) by the Council of the KRG Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research on 22.2.2015, as well as reference to item (3) of the forth topic, Scientific and Higher Education Affairs, the KRG Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research decided the following instructions to be applied in the process of equalization of academic certificates from September 1st, 2015 and thereafter:

First: the committee that is tasked with equalization of academic certificates will be formed via a ministerial decree and will carry out its mission secretly.

Second: the committee of equalization of academic certificates will be sub-divided over several specialized teams according to the various fields of specialization. In identifying members of the committees, selection of graduates from different countries will be considered.

Third: The process of receiving applications for equalization of academic certificates will be as the following:

1.Certificates should be obtained from universities that are registered in the trusted list of UNISCO as well as the list of trusted universities by the KRG Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research.

2.All initials of the submitted certificates, including diploma, wall certificate, and the certificate with academic scores, should be approved by the foreign ministry of the host country, the Iraqi federal consulate or the KRG representation in the host country.

3.All applicants should submit an electronic copy of his or her Masters or PhD letters.

4.The General Directorate of Scholarships and Cultural Relationships/ Directorate of Equalization of Academic Certificates will verify the certificates with those universities that granted the certificates via email and electronic contact.

5.Applicants should submit their original passports and a colorful copy of their passports, including entrance and exit visas of the host country, as well as the education visa or residency card for the purpose of auditing the period of stay in the host country within the instructions.

6.Applicants should have had commitment in presence and receiving required academic units according to their certificates.

7.In addition to documents regarding their certificates, applicants should submit the Iraqi Civil Status ID, and the Iraqi Nationality Certificate; for other applicants who are not a civilian of the Kurdistan Region, they should submit the Permanent Residency Document.

8.Decrees for equalization of academic certificates will be issued in the same name that is written on the certificate’s documents, thus the applicant themselves are responsible for changing the names.

9.Those Master and PhD letters that are not written in the English language, applicants should submit a summary on their letters in English.

10.Those certificates that have been equalized by the Ministry of Higher Education of the Iraqi Federal Government should be equalized again in the Kurdistan Region.

11.During the application and opening the dossier of equalization of academic certificates, all required documents should be submitted; otherwise the application will not be received.

Fourth: Scientific Capability Test for the purpose of equalization of academic certificates

1.Those universities that their global ranking are among (1-2000) scores according to trusted global rankings, except for checking the credibility of the certificates, no test of scientific seminars are required.

2.Scientific Capability Test for the medical specializations will be conducted three times annually, every four months.

3.For all the specializations, applicants are allowed to make Scientific Capability Test only twice, if not succeeded, then it is the KRG Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research’s authority to decide the applicants to be tested for the third time; i.e. applicants generally are allowed to make tests for three times, and the period between each test should not be less than three months.

4.Scientific Capability Test are only made in the universities of (Salahadin, Sulaimani, Erbil Medical, and Duhok); in case of the non-availability of specialization in the fourth aforementioned universities, applicants can be sent to another university that have such a specialization.

5.The Committee of Equalization of Academic Certificates will decide the holder of which certificate needs to make the Scientific Capability Test or not, the committee will also determine where test takers make their tests.

6.For equalizing each certificate, every applicant should pay $US 100, if taking a Scientific Capability Test is required, the applicant should pay an extra $50 per each test. After discounting the fee of scientific evaluators, how the rest of the money to be spent, will be identified through special instructions later.

7.If the applicant has obtained M.A. Degree only through courses, (i.e. the applicant did not have the letter of Masters), the applicant must present a seminar on one of those subjects of his or her education.

8.In the process of equalizing all certificates, online plagiarism checker should be made for the holders of Masters and PhD. letters.

9.Only those certificates will be accepted that the result of online plagiarism checker not be more than %25, and in the theoretic departments not exceed %50, meanwhile the online plagiarism checker for the overall Masters and PhD. letters not exceed %40.

10.Only those certificates will be considered academic in which the applicant has had two successive certificates in the same specialization.

11.In equalizing the professional certificates and in the ministerial decree, a clear reference should be made that the certificate is occupational.

12.Meanwhile, in the special decree of equalizing the academic certificate and in equalizing the scores, this procedure will be according to the education system in the Kurdistan Region.

13.In the ministerial decree of equalizing the certificate, all the following information should be indicated:

A.Name of the country where the certificate is obtained.

B.Name of the university in which the certificate is granted.

C.Date, month, and year in which the certificate is given.

D. Number and date of the record by the Committee of Equalization of Academic Certificates.